Pill poppers able to beat the heat

England's players were popping as many as 16 pills each in an attempt to counteract the stamina-sapping conditions in Japan.

The team's medical staff, aware of the possibilities of dehydration especially after today's game in Osaka, have prepared an individual programme of extensive vitamin supplement pills for every player in the squad.

England were hoping that the remnants of a tropical typhoon that was on its way to Japan would help cool the stifling humidity and heat in this southern Japanese city to protect them from extensive weight loss .

England defender and Evening Standard columnist Gareth Southgate, for example, swallows a total of 16 tablets a day to help maintain his vitamin levels.

"As one of the older players," he said, "I probably take more pills than most of the squad but it's all designed to help keep our energy levels up.

"It wasn't too hot when we first arrived in Japan but the temperature and humidity levels have begun to rise over the last few days.

"We're also given a special mineral drink after every training session. We're losing a lot of fluid through perspiration and it has been proved that, as dehydration begins to bite, it affects your concentration."

England were always confident that the acclimatisation the team underwent in Dubai and South Korea before the finals would prove sufficient for them to cope today.

Scotland team doctor John Maclean believes England will have no problems with the heat.

Maclean, who knows what they will be facing having been with the Scotland squad on their recent tour of the Far East, knows the England medical squad.

"When you are dehydrated there's no doubt that your level of performance suffers, you fatigue more easily and and your level of fitness drops," he said.

"If it gets more severe your level of concentration becomes worse, but I know the England medical team and they are very good and have done their homework. They will know what's necessary and make sure the players are keeping up with their fluids so that won't be a problem. "They will have been in the Far East for a period of time and the medical team and physios have wide experience of being away."

Meanwhile, Sven-Goran Eriksson believes the World Cup has been thrown wide open by the shock exit of champions France yesterday. The World Cup holders failed to score a single goal in three matches at tournament despite a frontline that contained David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry.

Eriksson said: "At the moment you couldn't pick a winner. It has been such an unpredictable World Cup so far. All the big teams have had bad games, or at least bad results.

"I think it's very exciting that new teams are coming through and playing such good football. It's very difficult to say who will win it.

"I'm not glad France are out. It's a pity for the World Cup that players like Zidane and Henry will be missing. They have been very unlucky. Pires was not even here and then Zidane was not fit for the first two games."